Machine to test the teeth of spur gears



1,533,671 H. H. STEELE MACHINE T0 TEST THE TEETH-0F SPUR GEARS Filed 541g 19, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 14, 925.

mm] E SQ INVENTOR.

' H. H. STEELE MACHINE T0 TEST THE TEETH OF SPUR GEARS 3 Sheets-.-Sheet 2 April 14, 1925.

Filed Aitg, 19. '1921 April 14, 1925. 1,533,671

H. H, STEELE MACHINE T0 TEST THE TEETH OF SPUR GEARS Filqd 531g, 19, i921 s Sheets-Sheet s Fly/0. F4 1. E I J 89 b .1 [a l f, [I

L; E i 1. l I

INVENTOR.

' I"! A 1 I W 7 ill) Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

o a k t ES HERBERT H. OF SYRACUSE, HEY? MACHEIIE TO THE F Application file l ltugust 19, 1321.

1 0 oil at om it may concern.

lie it known that I, Hnnnnnr H. a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracus F in the county of Onondaga and State of l-. York, have invented a new and useful improvement in Machines to Test the Teeth of Spur Gears, of which the following a specification.

My invention relates to that class of 1nachines employed to test the accu acy ot the tee l 01 spur gears relative to eccentr c ty,

profile 02? tooth and pressure angle, that may develop during; the process of manufacture.

in the early (l ys of gear making, the. gear hlanl; as machined, cut and finished before it was removed from the arhoror centering i-len'ient. The gear-makers in those days e);- periencetl no trouble clue to eccentricity or variations in the profile and involute angle,

because the gear and its arbor were transferred tron: unit.

one machine to another as a gear transmissions,

art, primarily to reduce the cost of i n. Today the geai blanl; is horetl cl on an automatic; the teeth are cl from a hob and finished in a gear the hardened and passes a ser'es of grinding operations to true-up the here the rim and face and the inrolute curve of the tooth. In some of these or ations. the gear is centered on an arbor the bore; in others, the is cenioni the rim. in a chuck and every 1a nge in these centering mediums promote c entricities anclvariations in the toothance in limits that inrlic 2 .ts slacl; or backash tla" should not exist in a noiseless l tron of power, which is the dream of cry manufacturer of automobile transmisms Vail us mam-nil devices are in use; to. detect defects in the gear teeth before L the fact that they are 1112111. .Jl. such as rotating the gear 'aug'e tor eccentricity, or an the "wire system which consists of about drastic changes in the in that must be compensated for by a t0l er l 33, 3,

dropping a Wire section between the teeth and rotating under atest gange, allows too n'iuoh latitude the judgment and eyesight of the inspector; and these assert. of little value o a fine. u if rm nspee iml o ch tooth, and hence i One object of the present invention is to provide a: powerdriven machine that will be uniformly consistent andnot only test the gear as a hole for eccentricity between the bore and pitch circle, but will simultaneously test each inrlivithu il tooth for thickness at the pitc line, the involute curve of the face and the pressure angle of the tooth.

Another object, is toproyitle a machine that will be automatic. in its operation and register a perfect tooth by advancing the nest consecutive tooth for a test and register an imperfect tooth Another object, is to design a simple, inexpensive machine that may heset permanently fora single style of gear and be duplicated for other styles of gears rather than a complicated machine that may be adjusted for a great many styles of gears and retuiire an expert to set it up iorthe operator.

With the above and other construction and arrangement. of parts as Willbe hereinafter more fully described and which are illustratedin'the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1. is a plan View of the entire machine, constructed; and arranged according to my invention; portion of a spur gear helng show-n in operatwe position, in dotted lines. 7

Figure 2, is a side elevation of Figure l,

Figure. l.

Figure ,6 an enlarged two positional View of the clutch.-

Figures T 8 and 9, are views of the chit-ch.

controlling elements.

bystopping the machine.

Figure a similar section on thefline Yr objects in; View, this invention consists in the combination Figure 10, shows the master tooth template and a gear tooth,

Figure 11, shows the tooth centering element and Figures 12 and 13 illustrate the effect of imperfect gear teeth on the master form or template.

In the several views, where similar figures of reference indicate similar parts,el indicates the frame of the machine adapted to enclose or support the several mechanisms to form a complete unit, The frame is formed with a depressed section to receive a carriage or carrier indicated as a whole as 2. The carriage comprises a rectangular block section 3 formed with parallel V-ways on both sides thereof to receive anti-friction balls 4: that co-operate with similar ways in two rails 5 secured to the frame by screws 6; one of these rails may be rendered adjustable in a direction towards the opposite rail, by screws 7 threaded through suitable ears 8 rising from the frame 1. This construction provides for a free easy running carriage; a carrier tl at will not deviate from a fixed plane determined by the rails. To prevent the balls 4: from creeping away from their proper position, a ball separator 9 of well known form, is indicated by a solid black line. The upper face of the block 3 is formed with a longitudinal groove to receive a spline 10 formed on the under face of a second block 11 that is similar to the block 3 in outline and may be rendered adjustable to the latter in the direction of its motion, by screws 12 passing through slots 13 in the section 11 and threaded into the section 3. The section 11 is formed with a boss 14 that has a central hole for a bearing for the reduced end 15 of a post 16 that rises vertically from the carrier and adapted to rotate freely therein. This post 16, is shown to have a square cross-section because it is to enter the square hole in a sliding gear for an automobile transmisson. For a gear having a round hole, the said post would be replaced by one having a round cross-section; The underside of the carriage block 3, is formed with a lug 17 that is slotted centrally and provided with a cross-pin 18 to receive the end of a drawbar 19 that controls the to and fro movement of the carriage as a unit. This drawbar 19 passes down through a slot 20 in the frame and thence horizontally within the frame where the exereme end is slotted as at '21, to receive the shouldered screw 22 that is threaded into a post 23 forming part of a downwardly extending lug or ear 2 1 cast integral with the frame. he drawbar 19 is formed with a rectangular opening 25 adapted to co-operate with a triangular cam 26 arranged to transmit a stop motion control to the said bar, which is a well known form of transmission with this exception; were the cam 26 to bear direct against the two perpendicular walls of the opening 25, the movement of the drawbar 19 would be fixed and positive and the movement of the carriage 2 would always be uniformly the same and the adjustment of the two carriage sections 3 and 11 would develop a pains taking operation, as will presently be unden stood. To overcome this difficult adjustment of the carriage movement to other es sential parts presently to be described, the opening 25 in the drawbar 19 is made wider than the scope of the cam 26; the perpendicular wall 27. of the said opening never comes into contact with the cam 26; but the wall 28 is normal and engages with the cam on the return stroke; To render the cam 26 effective on the forward stroke, a shuttle section 29 having the same general outline as the adjacent bar 19 and with a slot similar to 21, is hung upon the side of the bar 19 and retained by the two screws 22 and 30 but has a limited longitudinal movement independently of the said bar, within the confines of the slot 31 in the said shuttle 29. The rectangular opening in this piece 29 has a width equal to the radius of the face of the cam 26 and hence has a positive movement relative to the said cam. The piece 29 is formed with an ear 32 to receive a spring stud 33. A similar stud 3- is securel to the drawbar 19 and a spring 35 connected to both studs. From this description, it will be seen that when the cam 26 has rotated one-half a revolution from the position shown in Figure 2, the spring 35 will draw the shuttle 29 to a stop position against the pin 36 and the vertical wall 28 will assume a position to aline with the adjacent wall of the opening in the shuttle 29 and the two walls will contact with the face of the cam 26 as a single unit on the return stroke of the drawbar 19. That when the drawbar 19 is moved on the forward stroke, or towards the left hand of Figure 2, the engagement of the shuttle 29 with the cam, will move the carriage, because the spring 35 has sufficient strength to overcome the resistance of the carriage; but if for purposes presently to appear, the carriage should be checked before the cam 26 has completed its stroke, the drawbar 19 will become stationary with the carriage and the surplus movement from the cam will be absorbed by the spring 35, and the shuttle will move in advance of the bar 19, as shown in Figure 2, where the cam has completed its effective movement and is about to enter upon the dwell at the radial face which locks the carriage in a fixed position during this interval of inactivity.

The'cam 26, is formed integral with a disk 3'? that is secured to the end of a horizontally ar ringed shaft 38. This shaft 38 takes a hearing in the lug 9A and thence er:- tends across the frame 1 to pass through the opposite wall thereof where the free outer end is nrovded with a driving wheel 3.

he wh e1 39 is formed with a sleeve to that tal-zes a hearing within the boss 41 of the frame; the free inner end of this sleeve is formed with a single tooth A sleeve i3 is mounted upon the shaft 38 and formed with slot to engage with a pin 52 driven into the shaft; this D-Qrilllfs the said sleeve to have a limited nioveinent alon the shaft but must rotate in unison with the shaft. This sleeve is formed with a single tooth 1* in opposite relation to the teeth 42 and :liorin clutching elen'ients between the said wheel 39 and t is shaft 3 To maintain he two teeth 49.? and 1 hitching engagement, a spiral SJl'lll? f is introduced around the shaft 88 under tension lxetween the sleeve 43 and a collar 38 tha is fixed to the said shaft to h ar against the face of the lug 2-l to prevent end motion of the said shaft. The sleeve 43 is formed with a flange s6 and ad jacent to this flange, as best shown at Figure i, a short shaft i"? has a vertical hearing through the top of the frame and formed head 48 that is flattened on the side adjacent to the said fian e 46. The upper end of the shaft l? projects above the frain'e where the free end provided with afinger piece 49 adapted to a swinging motion be tween the two step pins 50 and 51. The swinging of the finger piece as to rotate the shaft will cause the corners of the flattened head l8 to coin against the flange i6 d fosce it against the tension in of the sp;. and withdraw the tooth e-l outside the rotzn field of the driving tooth 422, thus disengaging the clutch by a manual operai finger wheel secured to the end t that is positioned to aline with This shaft fih'takes a hearing v e iran'ie and the inner end is provided with (ii l: :36 having a short stud 57'set in the face thereof and at right angles there to that is pos'tioned to aline with and enter a hole 58 in the face of the cam 26, This linger wheel provided a manual control over the shaft 38. through th the sh: ft 38. for purposes presently to appear.

Referring to Figure 1, a section of a gear 59 shown in dotted lines, so as not to obscuro other parts, with the post 16 for an axis.

ward stroke or movement of the carrier 2,

said pawl sums over the adjacent tooth at the end of the movement of the cari 'l issun'le a position shown 7 eturn stroke of the C211" yar o ing stationary, will cause a out its axis; the move? inficient to advance the gear one v disposed lever that a boss 71 by a. screw ad is formed with a gositioneo bear against the I? forming part of the sleeve is operated on by a cam face 5 l the said fiange73, to im- )tilt a WJIZZtOl'j] movement to the said lever [O in one direction. The said lever is vihrated in the opposite direction by a spring 75 seoiu'ed is end to a stud 76 on the lever and the othe" end to fixed stud '77 in the frame. To check the reaction from the said Sliillll h {vond what is required to operate the lever TO, the sad lever is formed with win 78 to str: the stationary stut 77. L end of the lever 70 is forked as to receive a stud 8O dropping from a r holt 81. The belt 81 is round in ec ioii on; slides within suitable hushs '4 driven within holes in the frame. As shown a" Figure 3, the left hand bushing is uvided just beyond the end of theholt 81 making a saw cut through frame and e; to provide a cross slot 83 that may s by the end of the bolt 81 to hole in the bushing 84 at each vi- 1 the lever 70. The outer end of olt 81' projects beyond the frame so e the operator to push the bolt inw'th the linger when required. 119

"fil y The fra 1 e l formed with thr upright lug Sf, 88 and 87;, each formed with alining channels to provide hearings for two slide ha 8 l The bar 88 is thicker than th e; u h nd on has hearings in the two lugs 85 and 86, and terminates at one end outside the lug 85 with a tootlrcentering for-in shown enlarged at Figure 11, where two oppositely disposed rounded trees 90 are adopted einh ace a tooth 91 on both and at th This e pitch line thereof.

hai 88 has a spring stud 92 on the underside that dro 's tiiroue'h a hole 93 in the top of the frame and the end is connected by a at to a fixed stud in the frame. 'lf'h (l8 4 on i :e of the lug 85.

The slidin har 89, takes a hearing within all three lugs 85, 86 and 87, and like the bar 88, extends beyond the lug with its free end formed with a notch conforming to the profile of a perfect gear tooth as shown at Figure 10. Between the two lugs 86 and 87,.

a crank arm 99 that rises through a hole in the frame from a rock shaft positioned underneath at right angles to the bar. This rock shaft 100 may be hung from mitrepointed screws 101 that are threaded through the adjacent wal s of the frame and provided with check nuts 102. The two bars 88 and 89 are retained in their bearings or channels, by suitable cap pieces 103 that may be secured to the face of the lugs by screws 10%. These bars 88 and 89 are adjusted for a close running fit within their bearings and the connection between the bar 89 and the rock shaft 100 at the studs 97 and roller 98 is free from any loss of motion.

is a long lever secured to the rockshaft 100 and extends nearly the full length f the machine where the free end terminates at an eye 106, positioned to enter the slot 83 and aline with the hole in the bushing 81 and with the sliding bolt 81. The lever 105 adjacent the rock shaft 100, may be provided with a spring stud 10? adapted for a spring 108 that may be regulated by a suitable take-up screw 109 through the frame. The object of the spring 108, being to counterbalance the overhanging end of the lever 105 and also to restore the bar 89 to normal position; thestop 110 on the said bar 89 serves to arrest the reaction from the said spring, by striking the adjacent face of tie lug 85.

From this description. it will be seen that the bar 88 has a longitudinal movement thatis limited by the stop 96 in one direction and the wall of the hole 93 in the opposite direction. That the bar 89 has a longitudinal movement that is limited by its stop 110 in one direction and by the free end of the lever 105 striking the top of the frame in the opposite direction. That the movement of the bar 89 will cause the eye 106 in the end of the lever 105 to swing radially through the position of the bolt 81. That the movement of the said bar 89 will be greatly multiplied at the position of the eye 106 due to the difference in leverage between the length of the crank arm 99 and the length of the lever 105; this difference as shown, is approximately one to twelve.

The operation of the machine as now de scribed is as follows lt being assumed that the carrier 2 is at its normal position or at the end of the return movement, the finger piece 19 is shifted against the stop pin 51 to open up the clutching elements 12and 4d; the finger wheel 5% is now turned in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2 which rotates the shaft 55 and through the pin 57 that engages the hole 58 in the cam 26, the shaft 38 will rotate in unison with the finger wheel and cause the cam 26 to operate the drawbar 19 and draw the carriage forward to the position shown in Figure 2. This position can be felt by the fingers because the cam 26 has assumed a position that locks the drawbar 19. a ainst the reaction from the spring 35. The two screws 12 on the carrier are now loosened-to permit the block 11 to move in do ndent-ly of the base 8 and the gear to be tested, is adjusted to the carrier by dropping it over the square post 16; the gear is now pushed forward by the hand so that one tooth will engage with both forms on the ends of the two bars 88 and 89 and cause the bar 89 to vibrate the rock-shaft 100 and the lever 105 to swing the eye 106 to the position of the bolt 81. While the carriage is thus moved by one hand, the protruding end of the said bolt 81 is pushed inwardly by the finger and if the adjustments are correct, the said bolt will enter the eye 106; if the bolt does not enter but strikes the ec ge, the carrier 2 is shifted slightly forward or back until the said bolt 81 finds the eye 106 and enters. This shows a correct adjust ment of the carrier and the two screws 12 are now set to permanently lock the two carriage sections together as a single unit. The stop screw 111, is now turned to bring the end thereof into contact with the stop stud 112 in the frame; the said stop screw 111 being threaded through the block 3 will check the forward movement of the block and may be locked in position by the check nut 118. -While the gear is still in this position, the slide 62 is shifted so that the pawl 60 will drop back of an adjoining tooth of the gear, and the screw 65 is then set to lock the slide to the frame. The finger wheel 54; is now rotated in the same direction to complete the rotation and throw the carriage or carrier back to its normal position.

It being assumed that a constantly running belt is driving the pulley 89 the said. pulley will rotate within the bearings of the frame and around the stationary shaft 38. When the finger piece 49 is shifted against the stop pin 50, the spring 15 will force the sleeve 41-3 along the shaft 38 and cause the tooth thereon to enter the rotary field of the tooth 12 formed integral with the driving pulley; the said tooth 412 will pick up the tooth 14: and cause the said sleeve and shaft 88 to rotate in unison. The rotation of the shaft 38 will the triangular cam 26 and the engagement thereof within the openings 25 in the two-part drawbar 19 and 29, the said drawbar will draw the gear carrier 2 forward; the tooth of the gear 59 through rotate l face of the cam 74c that lays in an axial plane to the two bars 88 and 89 will lirst contact with the terms 90 on the end of the bar 88; these rounded faces will rotate the tobring the tooth into an axial position; or in other words, it centers the tooth by engaging it on either side at the pitch circle, relative to an axial line that passes through the center of the said slide 88 and through the center of the post 16. This movement (it the carrier 2 continues; the bar 88 will be moved to the left of Figures 1 and 2 ann against the reaction of the spring 941; until the tooth already centered, is brought into contact with the end of the bar 89 that carries a true profile of a gear tooth and constitutes a master form or template; the movement of the carrier after the engagiiig tooth of the gear has been brought into contact with the master profile on the end of the bar 89 is very short; just enough to actually move the bar and raise th eye 106 into alinement with the bolt 81 and a little more. 'Vhen this movement has been accomplished, the cam 20 has leached the end ot its operative stroke asshown in Figure 2, and a further movement of the shaft 38 and saideam 26 through an arc of about degrees will have no eitect on the carrier except to hold it in an operative position relative to the ends of the two bars 88 and 89 carrying the gauging forms. During this interval that the carriage is stationary, the earn T l is timed to engage with the nose 72 or" the lever 70, to vibrate the latter and cause the forked end thereof to shift the bolt 81 through the stud 80. It the adjustment of i the parts are accurate the said bolt will pass throughthe eye 106; the said eye having been moved trom the position of l igure 7 to that of Figure 8. Should the adjust ment of the carrier not be correct, the eye 106 may assume the position shown at Fig ure 9, where the eye 106 is alittle below the plane of the bolt 81 and hence the said bolt cannot enter the eye, but the movement of the bolt will be arrested by the end thereof striking the taco cit thelever 105. ll hen this condition appears, the lever being unable to complete the movement defined by the cam 741; the nose 72 being held sta: tionary by the action of the belt 81 the said nose 72 becomes a. earning element and will cause the cam t to ride over the stationary taco of the nose and shift the position of the sleeve on the shaft until the tooth 4A thereon is withdawn from the field ot the tooth which instantly stops the rotation of the shaft 38; the nose 72 engaging a fiat as shown in dotted lines in gure 6. The machine not having been properly adjusted up to this poina the screw stop 111 is readjusted until the said bolt S1 nlines with the eye 106 and which readjustment will, through the action of the spring permit the said bolt 81 to pass through the eye 106 and simultaneously the spring will restore the sleeve 4-3 and the tooth d linto engagement with the tooth 42. The nose 72 in the meantime has dropped over the edge of the cam, 74 and assumed its normal position against the face of the flange 73 and'the bolt 81 has been with drawn from the eye 106. This movement of the lever 70 and to and fro movement of the bolt 81 is completed before the cam 26 becomes operative to restore the carrierto its normal position. When the cam 26 has passed. that portion of its cycle that renders the carrier 2 inactive, the said caml will engage with the walls 28 ofboth bar 19 and shuttle 29 it they are in alinement, and the carriage will enter upon the return stroke; the pawlSO engaging with a teeth of the gear 59 will cause the said gear and post 16 to rotate a dimension equal to the distance between two adjoining teeth and thus bring up a new tooth to the operative position. The cam 26 providing for a stop-movement at the end of its cycle which permits ample time to stop the machine byshitting the finger piece 49 when the gear 59 has passed through a complete rotation and is to be removed and another gear substituted. The forward movement of the carrier to test the new tooth will be through the actionot the cani 26 against the vertical wall of the opening 25 in the shuttle 29; the shuttle drawing the bar 19 through the spring 35. It the stop 111 strikes the stud 112 and the carriage movement is arrested before the cam 26 reaches the end of its stroke the bar 19 also becomes stationary and the further movement or" the cam 26 will cause the shuttle piece 29 to move independently of the bar 19; this condition will be caused by the adjustment of the carriage step 111 after the two carriage parts 3 and 11 have been permanently fixed in thevtrial adjustment; and were it not for this arrangement of a two-part drawbar 19, it would be a dithcult matter to adjust the carriage movement to the action of the bolt 81 through the screws 12 alone because the variation of a few thousandths of an inch in the stop position of the carrier willbe greatly multiplied at the eye 106; but with the line threads on the step 111, for a final adjustment of the" parts and with a ta'keup mechanism similar to the shuttle 29 to absorb any surplus movement from the cam, the adjustment of the machine can be set for a very fine contact between the active tooth of the gear and the associated members that are to test its profile.

From this description of the operation,- it will be seen that it the gear tooth is correct, it will so engage the i'nasteritooth-form on the end of the bar 89 that the said bar will bring the eye 106 into perfect alinement with the bolt 81, but if a tooth in the gear should be a little thick at the pitch circle from any manufacturing cause, the engagement of this thick tooth with the master tooth profile will cause the two parts to look like Figure 12 and the movement of the gear carrier always being uniform, it is obvious that the said tooth will push the bar 89 a little further than normal and cause the eye 106 to rise above the plane of the bolt 81 as shown at Figure 9 and hence the bolt cannot enter the eye and the machine will be automatically stopped with the incorrecttooth in operative position. In such an instance, the operator shifts the linger piece 4E9 against the pin 51, to lock the sleeve 43 in inoperative position; he then marks the tooth with a piece of chalk, turns the finger wheel 5st to restore the carrier and bring forward a new tooth and then restores the finger piece 49 against the pin 50, to continue the operation. Similarly, if a tooth in the gear is not up to the required thickness at the pitch line, the said tooth when brought into contact with the master tooth form, will not shift the bar 89 quite far enough to bring the eye 106 into co-operation with the bolt 81 and the machine will be stopped at the incorrect tooth position. These are the two conditions that will appear when eccentricities exist between the bore and the pitch circle; and while the tooth profile may be correct and the tooth may alinc perfectly with the master tooth form as shown at Figure 10, the fact that the distance varies from the axis of the gear will produce just the same results as a thick or a narrow tooth, to wit; the short radius will not more the bar 89 the required distance and the long radius will move the bar too far; and if his variation amounts to only one-half a thou sandth of an inch, this dimension will be multiplied by the long lever 105 to be approximately siX thousandths of an inch that the eye 106 will be out of alinement with the bolt 81 which is more than sufficient to catch the edge of the said bolt and stop its motion.

These shift gears in a transmission, are always hardened and during the hardening operation, some of the teeth become slightly warped or sprung out of their true radial position. When such a gear is adjusted to an aroor and placed in the grinder to grind the involute face of the teeth, the operator is required to favor the gear and not hold strictly to pressure angles. He is allowed t0l1-tl1OUStl11CltllS of an inch for tracing up the tooth form and when the tooth passes between the two grinding wheels, he adjusts the plane of the arbor so that equal quantities will be ground from each side of the tooth, with the result in a very much warped tooth, the arbor is shifted an abnormal dista-i'rce to save the gear and the actual angle of the tooth that is generated by the grinders, not only destroys the correct pressure angle for the tooth, but the angle of the tooth assumes that shown exaggerated at Figure 13, where a indicates the true axis for the tooth and b the axis made by the grinding operation to save a gear from the scrap pile. This tooth to all outward appearances may look correct, but w ien assembled to mesh with other gears in the transmission, develops a noisy transmission and the problem is to detect this tooth before it enters the assembly stage. As shown at. Figure 13, this tooth may have the proper thickness at the pitch circle and may be a perfect tooth except for its angle; and when this tooth is brought into contact with the faces 90 of the bar 88, the tooth will be centered in alinement with the line a and when brought into contact with the master tooth profile in the bar 89, it will engage therewith as shown in this figure with the result that the said bar will be pushed too far, and the eye 106 will rise above the plane of the bolt 81. I

In practice, this machine can be strung up so fine that it will be an impossibility to manufacture a gear so perfectly that it will pass the test of the master tooth profile and it will be necessary to allow a tolerance to cover slight imperfections. This can readily be accomplished by enlarging the eye 106 a few thousandths of an inch more than the diameter of the bolt 81.

From this description of the machine and its operation, it will be seen that the gear is placed on a gear carrier or carriag and drawn into and out of contact with a master tooth profile; dividually; that each tooth tested, operates to coact with a master form of tooth in such a manner as to register its own profile by advancing the next tooth, if its profile is correct, and by stopping the machine at the tooth, if the profile has an error; that the carriage or gear carrier has a to and fro movement with an idle dwell at each end of its movement; that means are provided to greatly magnify a slight error in the tooth so as to make it mechanically possible to register that error; that the machine is automatic in its action and uniformly consistent with the limits set for a predetermined tolerance for tooth error; that the only manual operation consists of adjusting and removing a gear from the carrier and hence one operator can attend to several machines; that the carriage is adapted to varying di ameters of gears and to gears having or rerent forms of bore; that while a tooth having the involute form of face has been described and shown, this form may be readily changed to another form of gear tooth by substituting another bar 11min;- the new profile formed in the end thereof; and that that each tooth is tested iument of the carrier.

the tooth of thegear is first centered relative to'an axial line and held in thisposition diir ing the interval that the mastertooth pro file is active to register the shape size-and angle of the tooth.

Having thus described thenature of this invention, it wiil'be understood that it not limited to the precise forms shown, but

may be varied in any manner to better carry out the principle oi the invention without departing from the true scope thereof.

."Vhat is maimed and desired by Letters Patent is- 1. In a machine totest a gear tooth, the combination with amovable member provided with anotch conforming to a master tooth profile 0t a-p'ower driven carrier having a to and no movement to bring a tooth into cooperation with the movable member and devices controlled by the movable me her for stopping the carrier t iron ror in the form of the tooth.

2. in a machine to test a'gear tooth, the combination with a power driven gear carrier, of a movable member having a notch conforming to a tooth profile and means cooperative with the member as positioned by the tooth being;- tested to be secured In amachine to test a gear toot combination with a frame, or" two me mounted on the frame for a reciprotv movement, one member carrying: a be tested and the other member carr ing a gauge and 111621118fOl 'flllijfiil'ltttlCally and sisccessively bringing" both members into joint cooperation toJga'uge separately each tooth of the gear. p

i. In a machine to test a gear tooth, the

combination with a frame, t two. members mounted for reciprocatory movement in the tramc, one member to-earry a gear and the other member to carry a gauge and mains for automatically bringing both member" in joint cooperation to gauge a tooth proriievith predetermined degree of tolerance.

5. In a machine to test; gear teeth, the combination with a power driven reciprocatii'ig gear carrier, ot a master tooth form adapt cd to engago' with a giar tooth at each reii'ip'rocation ot the carrier and moms cooperative with the said master form to re l. ter an error in a tooths profile by stopping the movement of the carrier. 7

6. In a machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a power driven recipro- (a-ting gzear Barrier, a master tooth form adapted to engage with a tooth at rich re ciprocation of the carrier and means co-operative with the said master form to register acorrect tooth bytadvaneing the next succeeding tooth.

71in ajmachineito testgear teeth. the i'rombinationwith F a power driven reciprocating gear carrier,

to control the more of a gauge comprising; a correct tooth iorn'i to test each tooth of the ear means to bring the gaiigeand gear into and =means controlled by the o. Ina machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a power driven car E01 tor -a gear to be testerh a master tooth form to ongagewith each intividuai-tooth of the gear and means cooperative with'the said gear mounted on the l n L cm, of means .ar teeth, the rociprocz tit ricer :to g by step 'ieeding mocha ,m for the gear a master tooth tf rpted to with each tooti. )erative p the mas ioim to s carrier when a ecthe l-n of the gear is eriga jetl with the Hit iter form. I

power driven reciproear mounting on the i-iermit the gear to rotate L istance at each reciprocz 101 moans ir r e'ti'etingsaid rotations a master ooi'h ti adapted en e each the one 1 actooth or r means co-operat1ve with the sam m s or form to indicate a correct or an incor 'oct tooth.

* and l-ii. In a mac inch test gear teeth, the combinationwith a power driven reciprocating gear carrier of a jawl adapted to cnga ge with a tooth oi the gear at each reciprocation ot the llii'lGr' to rotate the gear, master tooth form to engage with 2 itomaticz liy advance the one tooth distance at each reciprocation ottho pon er-driven carrier ico' each tooth and means cooperative with the said master form to indicate an error in the profile of the tooth.

15. In a machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a power driven carrier tor a gear to be tested, of a two-part gang i one part adapted to center the tooth and th both coopeab other to ga n ie the tooth and ing' to indicate a correct or an incorrect tooth profile and means ttor applying the.

V the carrier.

teeth,

1 in reciprocating gear carrier, of a sio motion 11? ach reciprocation of t 17'. In a nachine to test e'ear combination with a poweno carrier, and amaster tooth form adapted to co-operate with a tooth duri an interval when the said can rier is inactive.

38. In amachine to test gear teeth, the combination with a power driven reciprocating gear carrier, of a stop-motion for thsaid carrier at each reciprocation, a master tooth form and means co-operative with the said master form, to indicate any error in a tooth during one of the intervals when the said carrier remains inactive.

19. In a machine to test: gear teeth, the combination with apowcr driven reciprocating gear carrier, of a st p motion for the carrier at the end of each reciprocation, a master tooth form and means co-operative with the master form that indicate a correct or an incorrect tooth profile during an interval when the said carrier is inactive.

20. In a machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a gear carrier,'ot a driving shaft, means connecting the shaft and carrier adapted to convey an intermittent to and fro movement to the latter and macter tooth form to gauge tooth during an interval when the carrier is inactive.

21. In a machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a reciprocating gear car rier, of a power driven shaft, a clutch con nectod to the shaft to control the movement of the carrier, agauo'e comprising; a tooth form to co-operate with. a tooth oi the gear at each reciprocation oi the carrier and means connectec to the clutch and operated by the gauge to indicate any error in the tooths profile by rendering the clutch inoperative to move the carrier.

22.421 a machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a gear carrier, of adrivintermediate the ing element having a positive rotation, means intermediate the carrier and driving clement ada oted to convey an intermittent movcn'ient to the carrier and a master tooth form to gauge each tooth ot the gear.

23. in a machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a gear carrier, ot a. twopart driving element comprising a cl ntch to operate the carrier, a gauge having a tooth form to gauge successively each tooth of the gear and means connected to the clutch and operated by the gauge whereby an incorrect tooth oi the gear will open the clutch and stop the carrier.

24. In a machine to test o'ear teeth, the combination with gear carri 1, of a driving element having a positive rotation, a driving shaft to operate thecarrier, a clutch shaft and driving element, a gauge comprising a tooth profile to co-opcrate with a tooth of the gear and means connected to the clutch and operated by n; e'o whereby an incorrecttooth in the gear will ll'l'GSL one carrier.

in a machine to test gear teeth, the

combin tron inc; eieine with a gear carrier, of: nt havine;

a driva positive rotation, a

shaft c opted to convey an intermittent reiprocatino; movement to the carrier, clutch connecting the shaft to the driving element, a comprising a tooth profile to cooperate with each tooth of the gear and means c0 nccted to the clutch and operated by the gauge whereby an incorrect tooth in the'gg'ear will stopthe carrier.

2b, In a 'machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a gear carrier, ot a driving); element adapted to convey a reciprocab motion to the carrier, a gauge to test individual teeth of the gear, means co-operative with the sait gauge to multiply any error in the profile of the tooth and devices controlled by said means for stopping the carrier. I

27. In a machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a gear carrier, of a driving shaft, a cam driven by the shattto convey an intermittent reciprocating n'iovcment to the carrier, a gauge to test each tooth of the gear, means (Bo-operative with the said gauge to multiply any error in the profile of a tooth and connections controlled by said means for stopping the aforesaid cam.

28. In a machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a gear carrier, a driving shaft, a cam driven by the shaft adapted to convey an intermittent reciprocating movement to the carrier, a gauge to test individual teeth of the gear, a rockshatt operated by the gauge and provided with means to multiply any error in the profile of the tooth and connect-ions controlled by said means for stopping the aforesaid cam.

29. In a machine to test gear teeth, the combination wit-ha power driven reciprocat i'ng carriage adapted to carry a gear, of a gauge comprising a tooth profile to engage with a tooth. of the gear at each reciprocation and means operated by the gauge and connected to the carriage whereby an incorrect tooth will stop the carriage.

30. In a machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a gear carrier having a fixed stop, of a driving shaft, a cam driven by the shaft, a drawbar operated by the cam and connected to the carrier and means co-operative with the drawbar adapted to yield against the cams action after the said carrier engages its stop,

31. In a machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a gear carrier, of driving shaft, a gauge operated by a tooth of the gear, a rock shaft controlled by the gauge comprising ashort and a long a an adapted to multiply any error in the formation of the gear tooth, and means controlled by one of said arms for controlling the driving shaft.

32. In a machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a power-driven gear carrier, of tWo bars with gear tooth gauges adapted to be moved by the advancing tooth of the gear and means co-operative with one of the bars to control the movement of the carrier.

33. In a machine to test gear teeth, the combination with a gear carrier, of a driving shaft to operate the carrier, a gauge to test a gear tooth, and means operated by the gauge to regv shaft and co-operative with the ister an error in thetoo'th.

34:. A gear testing machine comprising the combination of a support for a gear to be tested, gauging devices, means for automatially' effecting successive relative movements of the gear support and the gauging devices, means for automatically effecting a partial rotation of the gear between each of said relative movements, and means controlled by the gauging devices for automatically stop ping the machine When the gear does not conform. to the requirements of the gauging devices.

35. In a gear testing" machine, the combination of gauging devices, means for automaticaly applylng the gauging devices to the teeth of the gear being tested, a sto motion device, andv connections whereby the gauging devices control the stop motion device.

HERBERT H, STEELE. 

